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Set in a fictitious British suburb, The Thin Blue Line
is the wickedly funny story of a rather down-at-heel police station headed by
Inspector Raymond Fowler (Rowan Atkinson, best known as Mr. Bean), a pompous,
repressed but well-intentioned anachronism who wants to do the right thing but
who is constantly hampered by his own shortcomings, not to mention his
blundering Criminal Investigation Department colleagues. Atkinson expertly
balances his character's inflated sense of self-importance with the insight born
of old-school police values, for which his galumphing, shiny-suited CID
counterpart, DI Grim (David Haig) has no time at all. Strongest among the
supporting cast is Sgt. Pauline Dawkins (Serena Evans), who also happens to be
Fowler's live-in lover--a moral dilemma that his traditional values won't allow
him to resolve. He salves his conscience by avoiding sex with her whenever
possible, an amusing subplot enhanced by Evans's brilliant performance--she
positively vibrates with contained, ladylike lust in a manner only equaled by
Penelope Keith in the classic sitcom To the Manor
Born. Scripted by Ben Elton, this series manages to satirize
provincialism, institutionalized pig-headedness, and dated moral values in one
fell swoop, while also being chock-full of quick-fire, Black
Adder-esque dialogue. |
